The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-04-21
THE potress or PASSION
Tells of Picturesque Cuba and its Bea
fffp1 yVon,an-Cbf11ren and T,eooora

Tells of Picturesque Cuba and its Beau
tifu1 Women-Chillren and Beggars.
Mrs. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, the poetess,
who paid flying trip to Cuba some weeks
ago in search of health and inspiration,
has returned to her native heath with
liberal supply of both and enlarged ideas
on the subject of oranges and cigarettes
81 have had q delightful time," she
snid, in response to question put to her
about the trip eve left New York in
binding snowstorm and arrived in Cuba
to find the native women tanning them
selves under the tropical trees airily clad
in the fimsiest lawns and laces. The
change from winter to- midsummer was
so rapid that it reminded one of the scenes
changing on stage"
"But what was your opinion of Ha-
vanaa"
IL was very much charmed with my
first view Of the city rs we came into port,
from the deck of the Niagara. The sun
shining on the limestone walls Of the
houses gave the illusion that they were
wrought out of gold. The sky was soft,
amber color, AM the voices in the distance
sounded musically to the ear. 1t was
just such n picture as comes to one in
dreams-as wonderful, at first sight, as
vision of the celestial city. When we
had strolled through the curious streets
and inhaled the odors peculiar to the place,
we were satisfied that Havana was any.
thing but celestial. A more varied as
sortment of smells striving for pre-
eminence have never met with before in
my life. The gardens, filed with tropic
plants and flowers, Ewere in blaze of
glory, and musical with the tinAe OF
fountains"
ssI found many of the women very beau
|, tiful and picturesque. The place where
+ they congregate is Belote, a very fashion
able bath, where the Havana ladies, soft
eyed and yellow skinned, took their morn
ing bath. Some of them were beautiful
as dream, with pcarly teeth and dark,
languorous eyes and undulating forms of
matchless: beauty. Nearly every lady /
saw worea lace mantilla, over her ihead,
which only addedsa piqtfant grace to the
lovely faces that shone out from beneath
the fllmy folds.
'The beggars Of Havana are not the
least interesting Of the many curious
types of people to be met with in that
city. There seems to be a larger variety.
of cripples than Is: to be found anywhere
else, and they. are all trying to sell lottery.
tickets. They invade the hotels some
times in the midst of a table d'hotc. 1t
is not pleasant, you can imagine, to have
n beggar served up to you at the same
time as the soup. They will linger around
until the walters drive, them out with
mild profanity and aaS flourish of white
marking d. sy
IaThe. Cuban children seem to be cru
died in the gutter, for 60 where you will
you will find them rolling half nude in
the cutters, some of them smoking cigar
cites and not unfrequently huge cigars
which they can hardly. manage. One
thing impressed me very much, and that
is the way they abuse horses there. 1
think it would be splendid field Of :ac-
tion for Mr.. Bergh and his associates.
Stunted mules or ponies are compelled to
bear immense panniers, into which are
crowded enough things to stock store.
On the mountain sits the lazy peddler,
smoking and lashing the poor, emaciated
beasts staggering through the dusty
Streets"
''Did you find everybody smoking in
Havana?" Mrs. Wilcox was asked.
eyes. I never saw such population
of buffers. All day long the incense from
cigars and cigarettes ascends toward
heaven. Every one smokes-mothers,
sons, daughters, babies, patriarchs, morn
ing, noon and night, at meals and between
meals, puff! puff! puffr'-New York
Journal Interview.